Portable electric lamp



ll/E/VTO/P AWE/ME) March 17, 1936. s. R. TYKAL PORTABLE ELECTRICLAMP Filed Jan. 11, 1934 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE ELECTRIC LAMP Bohumil R. Tykal, Chicago, 111., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 11, 1934, Serial No. 706,185

4 Claims.

v sembled and clamped together in an improved manner.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a portable lamp guard and handle is provided in which the handle is composed of soft rubber and is formed with a chamber at one .end for receiving a standard lamp socket, the handle being firmly secured to the socket by means of a clamping ring fitting tightly around the socket receiving portion of the handle. The guard is composed of separable half sections formed with end portions receivable in clamping rings having cam surfaces designed to firmly clamp the guard sections together and attach them to the handle. A reflector mounted within the guard is readily movable to different positions without turning the handle. The several parts comprising the handle, guard and reflector, and the elements for clamping them together are all constructed entirely of insulating material, whereby any danger of short circuiting by contact with exposed electrical current carrying parts is avoided.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevatio-nal view of a portable lamp guard and handle embodying the features of, the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing the means for clamping the guard sections together;

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1, showing the means for attaching the suspension hook to the handle.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be observed that the portable lamp illustrated therein as one embodiment of the invention comprises a handle I 0, a guard II attached to the handle, and an adjustable reflector l2 mounted within the guard. The handle, which is preferably constructed of soft rubber, tapers from one end to the other as shown in Fig. 1, and is formed at its larger end with a chamber l4 adapted to receive a standard lamp socket l5. The handle is also provided with a bore I6 to receive a lamp cord ll extending from the socket. The socket receiving end of the handle is formed externally with two circumferential beads l8 which are spaced apart suificiently to receive and hold therebetween a tight fitting clamping ring 29 composed of fibre, hard rubber or other suitable insulating material. After the socket has been inserted in its chamber hi, the clamping ring 20 is slipped over the smaller end of the handle and forced into position between the beads [8, thereby forcing the wall at the outer end of the chamber inwardly against the reduced neck portion of the lamp socket to firmly clamp the handle to the socket. By this construction, accidental displacement of the socket, handle and clamping ring is prevented without the use of metallic clamping parts.

The guard H is molded or otherwise formed from an insulating composition and is, shaped to accommodate therein a standard electric lamp I9. The guard is composed of separable half sections 2l2l of like fenestrated character, having spaced longitudinal ribs 22, 22 and spaced cross ribs 23, 23, and being open or unobstructed betweensaid ribs. The guard sections 2| are formed with semi-cylindrical portions at their outer ends so that when assembled together, a collar or bearing. 2 is provided by said portions at the outer end of the guard for rotatably receiving a cylindrical stud or shank 25 extending concentrically from the outer end of the reflector I2. The reflector, of semi-circular cross section, is composed of an insulating composition and is shaped to snugly fit within the guard, but to allow sufficient clearance to permit rotation of the reflector by turning the external knob 26 formed on the end of the shank 25 of the reflector. The semi-cylindrical portions forming the bearing collar M of the guard are formed with a circumferential groove or recess 28 for receiving a circumferential bead 25) on the shank portion 25 of the reflector to prevent accidental longitudinal displacement of the reflector. When the guard sections are clamped together in mating relation, the shank portion 25 of the reflector fits sufliciently tightly in the collar 2-5 to prevent accidental rotary displacement of the reflector. The inner end of the reflector may, if desired, extend into a circular groove or recess 36 in the guard, whereby warping and lateral displacement of the reflector are prevented.

When the guard sections are assembled together, the inner semi-cylindrical ends thereof form a collar portion 32 having an internal circumferential groove or recess 33 adapted to receive the clamping ring 20 on the handle. The clamping ring projects above the beads I8 and extends into the groove 33 of the guard sections when the latter are clamped together on the handle, whereby accidental displacement of the guard relative to the handle is positively prevented.

Themeans for holding the guard sections, reflector and handle in assembled relation comprise two clamping rings 35 and 36 composed of insulating material and adapted to fit the inner and outer collar portions 32 and 24, respectively, of the guard. The clamping ring 35 is formed internally with two diametrically opposed cam grooves 31, 31 which extend diagonally inwardly from their entrance ends 40, 40 at an edge of the ring. The depths of these cam grooves taper from their entrance ends, where they are adapted to loosely receive diametrically opposed pin or rib-like projections 38, 38' on the collar portions 32 of the guard sections. The inner end portions of the cam grooves are of such depth as to insure a tight clamping together of the guard sections when the inner end portion of the cam grooves are moved into engagement with 'the projections 38 by turning the clamping ring 35 relative to the guard in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l.

The clamping ring 36 is similar to the clamping ring 35, having diametrically opposed cam grooves 42, 42 similar to the cam grooves 31 of the clamping ring 35. Diametrically opposed pin or rib-like projections 43, 43 on the collar portions 24 of the guard sections are receivable in the cam grooves 42 of clamping ring 36 in the same manner as described above in connection with the projections 38 and cam grooves 31.

By means of the clamping rings 35 and 36, the guard sections 2! are clamped together and attached to the handle in the following manner: After the lamp socket l5 has been inserted in the handle and clamped therein by the clamping ring 20 as described above, the guard sections with the reflector assembled therein are placed in mating relation on opposite sides of the handle so that the clamping ring 20 is received in the groove 33 of the guard sections.

The clamping ring 35 is then slipped on the collar portions 32 of the guard sections, the pro jections 38 entering the cam grooves 31, after which the clamping ring is turned in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4) until the guard sections are firmly clamped together by the camming action of the cam grooves 31 on the projections 38. The outer ends of the guard sections are similarly clamped together by means of the clamping collar 36.

If, desired, the guard sections may be so designed that when clamped together on the handle, the clamping ring 23 is sufiiciently loose in the groove 33 of the guard sections to permit turning of the guard relative to the handle, in which case the reflector may be formed integral with or permanently fixed to one of the guard sections so that it may be moved to diilerent positions by simply turning the guard on the handle.

A suspension hook 45 is attached to the outer end of the handle by means of a split collar 46 which is clamped to the handle by means of a bolt and nut 47, the hook being carried by the bolt. The hook, collar, bolt and nut are all composed of a hard insulating material.

The guard, reflector and clamping rings may be molded from a phenol condensation product reinforced with a fabric.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the several parts of the lamp guard and handle of the present invention are composed entirely of insulating material and may be quickly and securely clamped together in assembled relation without the use of metal screws or other 'metal parts. Thus, any danger of short circuiting in the usage of the lamp about exposed electrical current carrying parts is completely avoided. Also, the readily adjustable reflector obviously increases the utility and efiiciency of the lamp.

It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the particular details of construction herein illustrated and described, but is capable of various modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable electric lamp, a handle having a socket receiving chamber, a lamp socket in said chamber, a clamping ring surrounding the chambered portion of the handle in pressing engagement therewith for clamping the handle to the socket, a guard composed of separable sections having semi-cylindrical portions cooperating to form a collar for surrounding the chambered portion of the handle, and means surrounding said semi-cylindrical portions for clamping the guard sections together on the handle, said semi-cylindrical portions having internal circumferential recesses for receiving said clamping ring to prevent accidental displacement of the guard.

2. A portable electric lamp guard, comprising separable sections having semi-cylindrical portions which cooperate to form a substantially complete collar portion, a clamping ring surrounding said semi-cylindrical portions, said clamping ring having an internal cam groove, and a peripheral projection on one of the semicylindrical portions for cooperating with said cam groove for clamping the guard sections together when said clamping ring is turned on said semi-cylindrical portions.

3. In a portable electric lamp, a handle, a lamp guard comprising separable sections having semicylindrical end portions which cooperate when said sections are in assembled relation to form a collar portion at one end of the guard for receiving the handle, a clamping ring for surrounding said collar portion and having an internal cam groove, and a peripheral projection on said 001- lar portion for cooperating with said cam groove to clamp said guard sections together independently of the handle.

4. A lamp guard comprising separable sectionshaving semi-cylindrical end portions cooperatingto form a collar portion when said sections are placed in mating relation, at least one of said semi-cylindrical portions having a peripheral projection, a clamping ring for surrounding said collar portion and having an internal circumferential cam surface for cooperating with said projection to clamp said guard sections together, and a reflector rotatably mounted in said collar portion. 7

BOHUMIL R. TYKAL. 

